Healthcare Insurance Research
Consumer Driven Health Plans
In 2007, the number of people enrolled in a CDHP grew by 25 percent, up from 10 million in 2006 to 12.5 million in 2007. While CDHPs have been thought to be more popular with large groups, enrollment in small groups increased from 2006 to 2007. While originally thought to be more appropriate for highly compensated employees, CDHPs are proving to be an appropriate alternative for employees at all levels.
CDHPs are becoming more popular as consumers are becoming more involved in their healthcare and more comfortable with making choices. Enrollment in CDHPs grows in each successive year the plan is offered. Companies that offered a Health Saving Account for three years saw average enrollment grow each year, reaching up to 29% by the third year.
As consumers become more informed and satisfied with CDHPs, employers are providing more information and tools to help them understand and make choices in their CDHPs, resulting in lower employer healthcare costs, greater consumer responsibility, and improved health leading to greater productivity.
Health information tools are the keys to help employers and carriers continue to promote consumers’ satisfaction with CDHPs. We can help you gather the information you need to support consumers’ continued acceptance of CDHPs.
Questions may include:
- How can you overcome the "entitlement" mentality to help consumers take more responsibility for their healthcare decisions?
- Will they actually take control of their decisions?
- How do CDHPs change consumers’ care behavior? Are they choosing less care?
- How are consumers changing their behavior with drugs? Are they foregoing drugs?
- How has behavior changed for care of chronic conditions? For preventive care?
- How have CDHPs impacted care of family members?
- How should CDHPs be communicated to consumers so they understand them and, perhaps, more importantly, view them as a positive alternative to traditional plans?
- What should be communicated to consumers? Provider quality measures? Information on health conditions? Information on cost?
- What on-line tools can you develop to help consumers make choices?
- What impact does the deductible amount play on behavior?
To get answers to these and other questions,
contact us for a proposal.
